The Netherstorm
by Mars-Eclipse
Summary: A short story about Kael'thas Sunstrider and my OC, Yavimna Oakenshadow. Done for the 'Drawn From a Hat Fanfiction Challenge' on "He was not as forgotten as she would have liked."


The Netherstorm.

Home to Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider and his army of fanatics. She had decided not to travel to Netherstorm by flight, instead taking her stormsaber out of the stable, and riding him to the strange land. The ground underneath her animal's feet turn from brown to purple, as she left the Blades Edge Mountains behind. Lightening struck near her animal, but neither of them reacted. Yavimna Oakenshadow looked out at the purple land, and urged her mount forward.

With a growl, he launched himself across the path, racing by the bolts of lightning and jumping over cracks in the ground that would surely give under their combined weight. Yavimna leaned forward, and yelled into the cat's ear, "We have to head to Area 52." There was a growl, before the cat jerked to the right, and jumped onto a few of the floating rocks, before landing near a Blood Elf outpost.

It released a small howl, and refused to move. Yavimna slipped off of its back, and murmured in Darnassian, 'What happened, sweetheart?'

Carefully, her fingers pressed along its leg until a howl came again, more worthy of a wolf then a stormsaber. Broken. Her mind observed. Good job, deciding to take him here instead of flying.

"Come on, baby." Yavimna muttered, "you can make it."

The cat gave her an icy look, and lay down where it was. She gave a mutter. Looking up at the Blood Elf camp above her, Yav smiled slightly. She whistled. The raptor that slipped out of seemingly nowhere looked at her and her mount in confusion.

"Trouble, stay here while I go raid the Blood Elves and see if they have anything to help my baby."

The Raptor let out a shrieking cry, and moved to stand beside her mount. Unstrapping her bow from her back, Yavimna crept forward towards the camp.

It was rather large, and surrounded a generator that reminded Yavimna of the Exodar. The blood elves varied in clothing, from heavy plate to light cloth. Flashes of lightening struck close to them, but none seemed to notice. Carefully, she knocked an arrow, and raised the bow. Her fingers released it, and the arrow spin swiftly, the tip vanishing though the woman's cloth robe, and into her heart.

The others nearby whipped their heads around and cried out upon seeing her. Knocking three arrows, she let them fly before shooting a large group of arrows into the air. They fell around her, slaughtering the Blood Elves who had come close. Dropping her bow, she settled into a fighting stance, with her axe in one hand, and her dagger in the other.

"Come on! Come face the wrath of Yavimna Oakenshadow!" She cried out. The other Blood Elves circled her warily. She took a step forward, only to freeze. Ice crept up her legs slowly, freezing her to the purple ground as the elves crept forward.

One of them spoke. A few others nodded, and they all smiled. Yavimna's eyes widened, and the hilt of a blade connected with the back of her head. She dropped into unconsciousness.

Kael'thas Sunstrider remembered Yavimna very well. Long ago, in Dalaran was where those memories came from. They surged forward as he stood in the prison, looking at the woman before him.

_She wasn't a mage, - wasn't a Highborne. However, her sister was, and so she had traveled to Dalaran with her sister. Their parents were furious, which was why she wasn't going home. She hunted for the chefs of Dalaran, bringing fish and deer and bear meat back to them when they were running short. She helped in the garden, helped with the plants around, and trained with others who wanted to know more about hand to hand combat._

_She was cheerful for a Night Elf, always smiling and laughing, and making reckless decisions. When she had first met Kael'thas, her face had been streaked with dirt, and plants pieces stuck out of her hair. She had been wearing plain, dirty leather clothes. Her silver hair was tangled, and would certainly be a nightmare to brush. However, to Kael'thas, with her crooked smile, cheerful white eyes, and happy voice, she was the most beautiful thing in Azeroth._

_She had thrust her hand out, and shaken his with strength that surprised him. He grip was firm, her hands warm and surprisingly soft, despite the calluses on them. She introduced herself as Yavimna Oakenshadow, but requested to be called Yav or Yavi. _

_He had stumbled over his introduction, while smacking himself on the inside the entire time. He was a prince, who had met the leaders of many other countries. He knew how to introduce himself. However, it seemed that love had rendered Kael'thas speechless._

Yavimna groaned as she awoke. Her eyelids fluttered, before being shoved all the way up. She lay still for a long moment, staring at the roof of her cage. A soft breathing came from outside of the cage. Her rotated her head to the side, and released a rough gasp, backing up into the wall.

Kael'thas looked at her with narrowed eyes, his lips pursed as if mulling over an irritating thought. Finally, he spoke.

"Yavi."

She flinched at the beloved nickname. He spoke it again, with anger that she would have previously thought did not exist inside of him. The way he looked at her struck fear into her heart. His eyes, maddened and cruel seemed to be tearing her soul to pieces.

A soft flash of magic flickered around his hand. It seemed to Yavimna that it was shaped as a butterfly, before it vanished. Her eyes filled with tears.

_She was fascinated by the magic he did with such ease. She would sit near him and watch for hours, as he learned new spells or just practiced the ones he already knew. Once in a while, he would bend the arcane magic and make butterflies or little sprites to fly around her. _

_One day, instead of sitting with Kael'thas and watching him perform magic, Yavimna was out of the city all day. When she had returned, she had dragged him out of the city into a small nearby grove. She had pointed with a long finger, and told him to be quiet. There, they could see a mother deer sitting with her baby. The baby's eyes were closed, and it seemed smaller then a pin at that moment. Yavimna had smiled and told him that she had spent the day watching mother and baby. It was one of the last moments they had spent together, before the scourge and Illidan tore them apart._

"You monster." She had said the words before she could think about them. The flew at the cage bars, and stuck her hands out, clawing to reach him while screaming obscenities, slowly falling into her natural language.

"Why did you come here?" There was real curiosity in his voice. Yavimna lowered her hands and gazed at him coldly.

"Why did you kidnap me? Why did you leave Illidan? Why did you betray me? So many questions that will go unanswered."

"I left Illidan." Kael'thas said clearly. "Because he was insane and would not help my people. I betrayed you because I had to put my people first as their prince. And I kidnapped you…" He leaned forward and spoke softly. "I kidnapped you because I needed to see your face one last time. I never stopped loving you, Yavimna. I was going to propose."

She swallowed hard, and spat at his feet. "Well, you've seen me. Now let me go."

Kael'thas leaned forward, and touched his lips to hers. It was chaste and brief, and he whispered against her lips, "perhaps in another life, we will meet again."

"Never will we meet." Yavimna answered.

He motioned with his hands and stepped back. The door opened. "Leave." Kael'thas said. "And never return."

Yavimna left the cage, and walked by Kael'thas with as much dignity as she could muster. As she stormed by his slaves and out of his castle, hardly able to believe her own luck, she tried to ignore the tingling on her lips.

He was not as forgotten as she had hoped.


End file.
